Minister for Health Mary Harney has again been urged to state when a new vaccine against pneumococcal disease will be offered to all children in the Republic.
Carole Nealon of the Meningitis Trust said yesterday that an estimated 132 lives could be saved annually if a vaccination against pneumococcal disease was part of the State's childhood immunisation programme.
Children in Northern Ireland and in several other states were routinely vaccinated, she said.
Pneumococcal disease is responsible for potentially life-threatening diseases, such as meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia.
At present the vaccination is offered only to at-risk groups in the Republic such as those with chronic heart or liver disease and those aged 65 or over.
Ms Nealon said the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) had been deliberating on its introduction for a number of years.
"It is deeply frustrating for all of us who have been campaigning for this life-saving vaccine to be introduced, that there seems to be no timeframe laid out to introduce what is a proven and effective vaccine. In the meantime Irish children have died and remain at risk of dying from pneumococcal meningitis," she said.
"We are asking parents all over Ireland to lobby their local TDs, particularly now in the run-up to the election," she added.
The Department of Health said the inclusion of the pneumococcal vaccine in the primary childhood immunisation programme was still being considered by the Niac.
"The department and the Health Service Executive will be guided by the expert advice from the Niac in this regard," it said.